flower crowns | drarry

seventeen

draco attempted to joke, forcing back his usual smirk. but his tone was wrought with tremors and his fingers squeezed the arm bearing that faded mark with an uncomfortable harshness.

harry frowned.

"you're not a deatheater." he whispered, his heart sinking in his chest.

draco choked out a static bubble of aching laughter, avoiding his gaze. "nice one potter. you amuse me."

the pain in his silver eyes was too much.

in a swift motion, harry grabbed draco's hand and pulled him out of the great hall.

he pressed them against a wall, tucking them into the slight shade beneath a glowing torch.

draco watched the small clusters of people in the hall around them with round, anxiety ridden eyes, but harry payed them no mind, frowning at draco's swelling cheek.

"draco—"he started, green eyes filled with concern and the lingering traces of anger.

"i'm fine, i just need to go back and—" he reassured weakly, eyes flitting to the door of the great hall.

"draco."

the stern tone of voice paired with the blazing determination in his eyes crumbled the rest of draco's resolve, and he slumped against the stone wall and accepted his fate.

"let's go somewhere else." he mumbled, droopy eyes lingering on the gossiping students in the hallway.

he could just barely hear their whispers;

"isn't that harry potter?"

"what is harry potter doing with malfoy? aren't they like arch enemies?"

"yeah, and malfoy's a deatheater."

"they hate each other."

"so why did harry defend him? and why is he touching him?"

"something's strange about those two."

draco pursed his lips and trained his eyes on the hard floor, letting harry lead his shrinking figure to the room of requirement.

once they got to the door, draco's steps slowed and he pulled back in reluctance. harry noticed the gentle tug of draco's hand out of his grip and turned to face him, all questions dying on his tongue when he saw draco's expression; his eyes clouded with worry, brows twisted in apprehension, and teeth piercing the soft skin of his lips hard enough to turn the rose skin to aching scarlet.

it took harry little more than a second to realize what far away land draco's mind had wandered to, and he reached out with comforting fingers, brushing them against draco's pale skin with a reassuring warmth.

"draco." harry murmured gently. "it's okay. blaise, and pansy, and the teachers, and hermione, and ron, they're all taking care of them. you can relax now."

draco looked up into harry's eyes, finding nothing more than sincerity and truth in the deep green pools, and sighed, letting his anxiety lower to a barely perceptible nagging in the back of his head.